1 thar was there, but his figh was not heard. He fearched for the wound of his fon, and found it in his breaft. Joy rofe in the face of the aged. He came and spoke to Offian. 1 King of fpears! he faid, my fon has not fallen without his fame. The young warrior did not fly; but met death, as he went forward in his ftrength. Happy are they who when it is poured on the hill. The young day re turns from his clouds, but we return no møre. Where are our chiefs of old? Where our kings of mighty name? The fields of their battles are filent. Scarce their moffy tombs remain. We shall also be forgot. This lofty houfe shall fall. Our fons. shall not behold the ruins in grafs. They shall ask of the aged, « Where ftood the fathers? » walls of our Raife the fong, and ftrike the harp; fend round the shells of joy. Sufpend a hundred tapers on high. Youths and maids begin the dance. Let fome gray bard be near me to tell the deeds of other times; of kings renowned in our land, of chiefs we be hold no more. Thus let the night pafs until morning shall appear in our halls. Then let the bow be at hand, the dogs, the youths of the chace. We shall afcend the hill with day; and awake the decr die in youth, when their renown is heard! The feeble will not behold them in the hall; or smile at their trembling hands. Their memory shall be honoured in the fong; the young tear of the virgin falls. But the aged wither away, by degrees, and the fame of their youth begins to be forgot. They fall in fecret; the figh of their fon is not heard. Joy is around their tomb; and the ftone of their fame is placed without a tear. Happy are they who die in youth, when their renown is around them! A POEM. BEND thy blue courfe, O ftream, round the narrow plain of Lutha (2). Let the green (1) This poem is reputed to have been compofed by Offian, a little time before his death; and confequently it is known in tradition by no other name than Offian's laft hymn. The tranflator has taken the liberty to call it Berrathon, from the epifode concerning the re-eftablishment of Larthmor king of that ifland, after he had been de throned by his own fon Uthal. Fingal in his voyage to Lochlin [ Fing. B. III. ], whither he had been invited by Starno the father of Agandecca, fo often mentioned in Offian's poems, touched at Berrathon, an ifland of Scandinavia, where he was kindly entertained by Larthmor the petty king of the place, who was a vaffal of the fupreme kings of Lochlin. The hofpitality of Larthmor gained him Fingal's friendship, which that hero manifefted, after the imprisonment of Larthmor by his own fon, by fending Offian and Tofcar, the father of Malvina fo often mentioned, to refcue Larthmor, and to punish the unnatural behaviour of Uthal. Uthal was handfome to a proverb, and confequently much admired by the ladies. Nina-thoma the beautiful daughter of Torthóma, a neighbouring prince, fell in love and fled with him. He proved unconftant; for another lady, whofe name is not mentioned, gaining his affections, he confined Ninathoma to a defert ifland near the coaft of Berrathon. She was relieved by Offian, who, in com pany with Tofcar, landing on Berrathon, defeated |